This invention relates to normally tacky and pressure-sensitive adhesive and to tape made therewith.
Pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes form a large and versatile family used in such diverse fields as masking, mounting, holding, mending, etc. In many instances, it is desired to have the tape remain permanently adhered in place. In other cases, however, it is extremely desirable to have the tape remain firmly bonded to a substrate only until it has ceased to perform its intended function, e.g., masking purposes during a painting operation, supporting a silicon wafer during specific finishing operations, protecting highly polished glass or metal surfaces, etc. Generally speaking, however, the longer a tape is in contact with a given substrate, the more firmly it adheres. It is believed that there has never previously existed a tape which would remain firmly bonded to any of a variety of substrates for long periods of time and yet be capable of having its adhesion to the substrate quickly reduced when it was desired to remove the tape. The present invention provides such a product.